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Murphy to Receive AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology

Recognition honors pioneering discoveries that have paved the way for more effective cancer immunotherapies

WashU Medicine researcher Kenneth M. Murphy, MD, PhD, has been named the recipient of the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)-Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology.

Murphy, the Eugene Opie First Centennial Professor in pathology and immunology at WashU Medicine and a researcher at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, will be recognized at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, which will be held April 17-22 in San Diego.

The Lloyd J. Old Award recognizes scientists whose outstanding research has had a major impact on our understanding of cancer.

“Dr. Murphy is an extraordinary and innovative immunologist,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD, chief executive officer of the AACR. “His discoveries have laid crucial groundwork for new advances in the treatment of cancer, thereby extending and saving countless lives. The AACR and CRI are thrilled to present him with this well-deserved award for enabling significant progress in the field of cancer immunology.”

Murphy’s groundbreaking work has shown how different types of dendritic cells, a kind of immune cell, develop and take on specialized jobs in controlling the body’s immune responses. He has uncovered the genetic “programs” that tell immature cells to become specific kinds of dendritic cells, including discovering how a gene called BATF3 helps create a type of dendritic cell that is especially good at activating “killer” T cells, which destroy infected or cancerous cells. His research has deepened our basic understanding of how the immune system recognizes threats and has helped guide new approaches to boosting the immune system’s attack on cancer, improving cancer immunotherapy.

“The Lloyd J. Old Award honors scientists whose work doesn’t just advance a field — it reshapes how we understand biology at its core,” said Alicia Zhou, PhD, chief executive officer at CRI. “Dr. Murphy’s discoveries have defined the rules by which dendritic cells orchestrate immune responses, providing a foundation that continues to inform how we design the next generation of cancer immunotherapies.”

Murphy is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. His previous honors include the CRI William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic Immunology, the American Association of Immunologists-Thermo Fisher Meritorious Career Award and the WashU Medicine Distinguished Investigator Award.

Murphy will deliver his award lecture, titled “DC subsets: Why so much specialization?”, on April 21 at 3 p.m. PT during the AACR annual meeting.

Learn more about his research.

For Your Health — What to Know About GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss and Health

As many of us know, keeping weight in check can be hard. And national numbers certainly reflect this. Rates of overweight and obesity in the U.S. have steadily climbed since the early 1980s.

The impact this has had on health and well-being is very significant. Weight gain and obesity increase the risk of 13 cancers, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, mobility problems and many other serious conditions.

So, the recent rise of GLP-1 medications for weight loss has become a promising bright spot.

Officially known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, GLP-1 drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes — and later for weight management. The most commonly used GLP-1 drugs are semaglutide, sold as Ozempic or Wegovy, and tirzepatide (a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist), sold as Zepbound. They’re usually given with a once-a-week self-injection, but a semaglutide pill recently became available.

“GLP-1 receptor agonists are based on hormones that are made naturally by the body when we eat,” said Dr. Cynthia Herrick, a professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research at WashU Medicine. “They slow the movement of food through the gut and have a complex effect on signals of fullness in the brain.”

In response, people eat less — and lose weight. Those using the most common once-a-week GLP-1 drugs have been shown in studies to lose around 15% to 20% of their body weight.

On top of weight loss, studies have found a wide range of health benefits with GLP-1 drugs, which can vary depending on the specific drug. Herrick said they can help treat type 2 diabetes, prevent future heart attacks and stroke in people who have had them in the past, and lessen certain liver and kidney conditions. “The newest once-weekly drug, tirzepatide, has also been approved to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea,” Herrick added.

As with any medication, though, there can be downsides. Serious side effects are rare but can include gallstones, an inflamed pancreas and problems with food moving through the digestive system. There is also some concern that GLP-1 drugs may increase the risk of thyroid cancer, but so far, studies haven’t shown this.

More common side effects include nausea, occasional vomiting, bloating, mild diarrhea and constipation. To help minimize these, people are started on low doses, which are then increased monthly, Herrick said.

Since research on these drugs is still relatively young, it will take some time before we have more complete information about their long-term safety and benefits.

In addition to diabetes, GLP-1 drugs are most commonly prescribed for weight loss for people with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher who also have a related condition, like high blood pressure or unhealthy blood cholesterol. Someone who is 5 feet 6 inches and weighs 186 pounds would have a BMI of 30, for example.

Insurance coverage for GLP-1 drugs can vary. Most plans will cover a GLP-1 drug to treat diabetes. But they’re less commonly covered for weight loss or other approved conditions. And even with insurance, monthly costs on some plans can be over $1,000 until people reach their deductibles.

Some options, though, can help. “There are now direct-to-consumer programs from the pharmaceutical companies that can lower the cost to $150 to $450 per month, depending on the medication and dose,” Herrick said.


Since people on GLP-1 therapy will likely be on it long-term, affordable access can be especially important. “I tell people to think of these the way we think of blood pressure and cholesterol medicines,” Herrick said. “These work to reduce heart disease risk, but only when taking the medications. When people stop them, weight can increase.”

Keeping up with physical activity and healthy eating remains important while taking GLP-1 drugs and is a key recommendation from many organizations. It can boost the benefits of medication, improve quality of life and help maintain weight loss. And these benefits can build on each other.

“I’ve had patients note that they no longer have a taste for sugar-sweetened beverages or alcohol after starting these medications. They find it easier to limit processed food intake and to control portions,” she said. “And as people begin to lose weight, they often find regular physical activity easier to do.”

It’s clear there’s a lot of interest in GLP-1 drugs. A recent KFF survey found that as many as 12% of people in the U.S. already take one, and that number is likely to keep growing. While we still have a lot to learn about their long-term risk and benefits, so far GLP-1 drugs have shown real potential for improving people’s health and well-being.

NCCN Recognizes Podany as 2026 Young Investigator Award Recipient

WashU Medicine physician-scientist Emily L. Podany, MD, MPHS, has been named a 2026 recipient of a prestigious NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Award, given by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and NCCN Foundation.

Podany is an assistant professor of medicine at WashU Medicine and a medical oncologist who treats patients diagnosed with breast cancer at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine.

She is being recognized for her research project, titled “From Screening to Action: Implementing Navigation Interventions for Patients with Breast Cancer and High-Risk Social Determinants of Health.” Her work focuses on addressing barriers that can prevent patients from receiving timely and effective cancer care, particularly among populations facing social and economic challenges.

Through this award, Podany will receive funding and support from the NCCN Oncology Research Program over two years. The program provides mentorship and oversight to help early-career investigators advance innovative research aimed at improving cancer outcomes.

“We have a rigorous peer review process for identifying emerging leaders in cancer research through their work,” said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, CEO, NCCN. “NCCN Young Investigators go on to lead within their institutions and nationally. This year’s recipients identified particularly pressing needs that impact people with cancer. They are exploring solutions to unlock better outcomes for all in the future. We are honored to play a role in their career trajectory and look forward to seeing where it takes them.”

Podany is one of five early-career researchers to be recognized this year. Her project is designed to move beyond identifying patients at risk to actively connecting them with the care and resources they need. By developing targeted patient navigation interventions, she aims to further reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment and improve care coordination, ultimately ensuring that patients with breast cancer receive equitable, timely and high-quality care.

“I am deeply grateful to the NCCN Foundation for this support,” Podany said. “This award will allow us to take meaningful steps toward ensuring that patients facing social and economic challenges are not left behind in their cancer care. Our goal is to translate screening for social determinants of health, such as food insecurity and housing instability, into tangible action by connecting patients to the resources they need to achieve the best possible outcomes.”

Podany’s work reflects the broader mission of the NCCN Foundation to support innovative research that addresses disparities in cancer care and improves outcomes for all patients. Her focus on practical, patient-centered interventions highlights the importance of bridging gaps between diagnosis and treatment. She will present her work at the NCCN 2029 Annual Conference.

The NCCN is a nonprofit alliance of 33 cancer centers, including Siteman Cancer Center, that is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of cancer care, research and education.

Tumor Markers May Help Doctors Decide Which Head and Neck Cancer Patients Need Immunotherapy Before Surgery

WashU Medicine physician-scientists at Siteman Cancer Center identify a promising way to help guide immunotherapy treatment decisions and enhance patient care

Building upon more than a decade of investigator-initiated clinical trials at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, researchers have identified a malignant cell biomarker that may predict which patients will respond to the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, known commercially as Keytruda, for the treatment of resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC).

The research, published March 31 in Cell Reports Medicine, is the latest discovery from one of the nation’s leading head and neck tumor centers, the Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center at Siteman Cancer Center. The findings point to a cell surface protein, major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II), as the tumor marker that may help guide treatment decisions. It is typically expressed on immune cells and is important for activating immune responses in the body.

In the study, the researchers found that malignant cells expressing MHC-II and interferon response genes respond better to pembrolizumab administered before surgery, suggesting that a malignant-interferon (IFN)/MHC-II program could be developed into a genomic test to stratify patients into those who should proceed with immunotherapy before surgery and those who should proceed directly to surgery and not be given immunotherapy beforehand.

“Patients with advanced head and neck cancer often undergo immunotherapy prior to and after surgery,” said Sidharth V. Puram, MD, PhD, the Lindburg Professor of Otolaryngology and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery at WashU Medicine and co-director of the Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center at Siteman Cancer Center. “The use of immunotherapy drugs, however, means that surgery is delayed by as much as eight to 10 weeks. If we can determine which patients are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy and which ones should go straight to surgery, we can potentially improve overall outcomes for our patients. We think that’s what (IFN)/MHC-II can do: predict how well patients will have a tumor response to immunotherapy.”

Puram is the corresponding author of the study. Co-senior authors are Douglas R. Adkins, MD, director of the Section of Head and Neck and Thyroid Medical Oncology in the Division of Medical Oncology at WashU Medicine and co-director of the Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center at Siteman; Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, director of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Itay Tirosh, PhD, senior scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

WashU Medicine researchers already have defined a new standard for the treatment for resectable LA-HNSCC in adults. In the pivotal global KEYNOTE-689 Phase 3 clinical trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicinein June 2025 and co-led by Adkins and Uppaluri, researchers found that the administration of pembrolizumab before and after surgery combined with adjuvant (chemo) radiation therapy resulted in tumor cell death in the surgical specimen and significantly improved the event-free survival (EFS) for these patients.

Perioperative pembrolizumab was approved by the FDA in June 2025 and changed the standard treatment pathway for patients with LA-HNSCC.

“The KEYNOTE-689 trial was built on the favorable results of investigator-initiated trial testing of perioperative pembrolizumab that was developed and conducted at WashU Medicine (with participating sites at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center),” Adkins said. “In these trials, administration of pembrolizumab before surgery resulted in evidence of tumor cell death in the surgical specimen in up to 50% of patients, a finding linked to better EFS. However, a biomarker was needed that could predict which patients benefited from pembrolizumab before the immunotherapy drug was given. Tumor PD-L1 protein expression does predict potential benefit with pembrolizumab in these patients; however, this test is a very weak predictive biomarker. Predictive biomarkers with stronger links to benefit with pembrolizumab are needed to select patients a priori who may or may not benefit from pembrolizumab before and after surgery.”



To understand the underlying biology and what might drive tumor responses to immunotherapy, researchers used single-cell RNA-sequencing on tissue samples from 16 HNSCC patients, both pre- and post-neoadjuvant pembrolizumab treatment, who were enrolled in the phase 2 trials that represent the predecessors to KEYNOTE-689.



“Single cell approaches allowed us to profile the individual malignant cells and understand the specific genes expressed and how they change with immunotherapy,” Puram said. “Surprisingly, we found a subpopulation of malignant cells that were defined by MHC-II and interferon response genes that predicted immunotherapy response.”



The researchers believe that MHC-II and interferon expression by malignant cells reflects engagement of immune cells with T cells, which are positioned to kill the cancer but have been “turned off” — a state called T-cell exhaustion. Based on spatial techniques, they hypothesize that immunotherapy drugs like pembrolizumab “wake up” these T cells, with MHC-II and interferon identifying which tumors might be poised to then respond to the immunotherapy.



“These results suggest that for the first time, a clinically available strong predictive biomarker may become available to clinicians that can be used to decide whether to include perioperative pembrolizumab before and after surgery and adjuvant therapy for the treatment of patients with LA-HNSCC,” Adkins said. “This will be an important milestone to achieve for our patients.”



“What we’ve demonstrated is the importance of malignant cell states for immunotherapy response,” Puram added. “After more studies with more patients, we envision that a simple test could be developed that tells us if a patient expresses (IFN)/MHC-II and therefore would benefit from immunotherapy. We think this is a significant finding as we continuously try to predict which patients will respond and how to make treatments more effective.”

Historical Clinical and Research Breakthroughs

Siteman Cancer Center has a long history of improving outcomes and driving novel research into head and neck cancers. The WashU Medicine Department of Otolaryngology is among the top 10 recipients of NIH research funding among otolaryngology departments. Within the Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center, investigators and physician-scientists across a multidisciplinary team of otolaryngology, medical oncology and radiation oncology specialists oversee one of the largest basic, translational and clinical research portfolios in the country. In addition to paradigm-changing clinical trials such as the KEYNOTE-689 trials, researchers at the center have pioneered advanced reconstructive techniques and new therapies with radiation and chemotherapy, as well as immunotherapies and targeted therapies for head and neck cancers.

Learn more

Innovative CAR-T cell therapy receives FDA breakthrough therapy designation

Immunotherapy for aggressive T-cell cancers developed by WashU Medicine researchers moves to faster approval pathway

A cell-based immunotherapy designed to treat rare and aggressive types of blood cancer has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, this innovative CAR-T cell therapy is licensed to Wugen, a WashU Medicine startup biotechnology company based in St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation District.

The immunotherapy was developed by WashU Medicine physician-scientists who treat patients at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine.

The therapy — called WU-CART-007 (soficabtagene geleucel) — targets specific blood cancers called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LL). These are aggressive forms of blood cancer that originate in the immune system’s T cells, a type of white blood cell important for the body’s immune response. These cancers often don’t respond at all to standard care or return after several rounds of treatment, leaving patients with few treatment options and poor prognoses. Stem cell transplantation is the only curative treatment for such cancers, but these patients rarely qualify for it because they must first achieve remission following early rounds of chemotherapy, which is rare for these blood cancers.

The FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy designation aims to speed up the development and regulatory review of treatments for serious or life-threatening conditions, especially therapies that may offer substantial improvements over existing options. The Breakthrough Therapy designation for Wugen’s immunotherapy is based on preliminary clinical evidence showing early success in treating these aggressive blood cancers. Early-phase clinical studies have demonstrated that the therapy can selectively target and eliminate cancerous T cells with manageable side effects.

About 1,000 people are diagnosed with T-cell cancers each year in the U.S. If the cancer does not respond to treatment or returns after initial treatment, patients survive an average of six months, and fewer than 7% are still living at the five-year mark.

“This therapy has the potential to enable long-term survival for this patient population by controlling the disease and allowing patients — who would otherwise not be eligible — to proceed to stem cell transplantation, the only potentially curative treatment for these blood cancers,” said WashU Medicine oncologist John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, the Virginia E. & Sam J. Golman Professor of Medicine and director of WashU Medicine’s Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy, who first developed the therapy in his lab at WashU Medicine. “We remain hopeful that the ongoing Phase 2 study will be completed soon, and we’ll have positive results — but we’ll need some time to see how the patients do in both short-term and long-term follow-up.”

DiPersio treats patients at Siteman Cancer Center and founded Wugen alongside other WashU Medicine investigators, including Matthew Cooper, PhD, who then was on the WashU Medicine faculty and now serves as Wugen’s chief scientific officer. The researchers worked with WashU’s Office of Technology Management (OTM) to launch the company in 2018.

The early-phase clinical trial that led to the Breakthrough Therapy designation was conducted in multiple study centers in the U.S., Australia and Europe. The Phase 1 study included 28 adult and adolescent patients with either T-cell lymphoblastic cancer that returned after several lines of therapy or that never responded to treatment. Of 11 patients who could be evaluated after treatment, the overall response rate was 91%, meaning 10 patients either showed no signs of cancer after treatment or their cancer cell burden was reduced significantly. Eight out of 11 patients (72.7%) achieved complete remission. At the study’s data cutoff, six who underwent a transplant remained in remission, with no evidence of disease six to 12 months later, according to the study published in the journal Blood.

“This FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for soficabtagene geleucel highlights the role of Siteman Cancer Center, a leading NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and WashU Medicine in advancing innovative CAR-T cell therapies for aggressive T-cell leukemias and lymphomas,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor at WashU Medicine. “The dedicated work of our physician-scientists and clinicians is translating the most cutting-edge cellular immunotherapy research into the newest treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.”

The phase 2 trial is currently ongoing. At the Siteman site, the clinical trials have been led by principal investigator Armin Ghobadi, MD, a professor of medicine, director of cellular therapies at Siteman, and clinical director of WashU Medicine’s Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy. Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WashU Medicine is a key site for the pediatric portion of the clinical trial, co-led by Thomas Pfeiffer, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics. Ghobadi and Pfeiffer have no financial interest in Wugen.

A major advantage of the treatment is its “off-the-shelf” availability, eliminating the need to manufacture an individualized cell product for each patient. The cell therapy can be prepared in advance from cells donated by healthy individuals and used to treat any patient with a T-cell cancer. In contrast, already-approved CAR-T cell therapies are adapted from the patient’s own immune cells, a process that typically takes three to four weeks. The accelerated treatment timeline of the Wugen immunotherapy reduces logistical and financial barriers associated with most cell-based therapies. This speed can make a meaningful difference because it is not unusual for patients with these aggressive cancers to die while waiting for the therapeutic cells to be prepared.

These particular blood cancers present a unique challenge because the therapeutic cells and the cancer cells are both T cells, so DiPersio and his colleagues came up with further innovations to prevent the therapeutic T cells from mistaking one another for the cancer and causing CAR-T cell fratricide. All other approved CAR-T cell therapies target B cell cancers, which do not have this T cell self-targeting complication.

Stewart elected to AACR board of directors

Sheila A. Stewart, PhD, associate director for basic science and co-leader of the Mechanisms of Cancer Biology Program at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, has been elected to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Board of Directors.

Stewart, who is also the Gerty Cori Professor and vice chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at WashU Medicine, will be sworn in at the AACR Annual Meeting, April 17–22 in San Diego.

AACR is one of the world’s largest cancer research organizations, with more than 60,000 members in 143 countries and territories. As a board member, Stewart will work with other leaders to oversee the strategic direction, financial health and governance of the organization. Her term continues until 2029.

“I’m honored to serve on the AACR Board of Directors at such a pivotal time for cancer research. Indeed, while there are significant challenges to sustained funding and ensuring the success of the next generation of cancer researchers, our understanding of the processes that drive cancer is providing enormous opportunities for identifying new therapeutic targets. I look forward to working with this extraordinary community to accelerate discoveries that improve patients’ lives,” Stewart said.

“This national leadership role reflects Siteman’s own commitment to shaping the future of cancer care, and together we’re creating the partnerships and scientific momentum that will ultimately benefit patients everywhere.”

As a cancer biologist at Siteman Cancer Center and WashU Medicine, Stewart studies how noncancerous cells, known as stroma, in tumors promote the development of cancer. In particular, she and her lab investigate how age-related changes in the stroma modulate the immune response and affect dormant tumor cells, thus promoting disease. The goal is to identify points of intervention at which the process can be interrupted, thereby preventing or treating cancer.

Learn more about Stewart’s research and lab.

As vice chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at WashU Medicine, she develops strategies and programs to support the professional and personal development of the department’s trainees, as well as to enhance faculty recruitment and professional development.

Stewart earned her bachelor of science degree in microbiology from the University of Minnesota and her PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in cancer biology at the Whitehead Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined the WashU Medicine faculty in 2003.

Hockey and Hope: Siteman teams up with St. Louis Blues alumni for third annual benefit game

Led by Kelly Chase, the March 27 event brings NHL legends and special guests together to raise funds for cancer research, patient care and lifesaving advances.

Siteman Cancer Center is honored to once again be a beneficiary of the annual St. Louis Blues alumni game led by Kelly Chase, returning for its third year on March 27.

Tickets are available now for this special evening, which includes other National Hockey League (NHL) alumni and special guests — a powerful show of support for cancer research, patient care and Chase’s own battle with cancer.

A veteran for 12 seasons in the NHL, seven with the Blues, Chase has been a bruising defender, including against his diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the community, the first two events raised more than $1.2 million in support of Siteman. This year’s game promises to build on that momentum with another unforgettable night.

Proceeds from the March 27 event at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights will benefit Siteman and The V Foundation for Cancer Research, helping to advance lifesaving work and provide hope to patients and families.

Fans can purchase general admission tickets for $50 or VIP tickets for $500. VIP packages include all-inclusive food and beverage, along with exclusive access to a postgame party featuring players and celebrity guests.

Scheduled appearances include Blues greats and other notable guests such as Brett Hull, David Backes, Brendan Shanahan, Dierks Bentley and Sean Payton, among others.

Buy your tickets and support Siteman here.

For Your Health: At any age, we can cut the risk of colorectal cancer

Recent headlines have pushed colorectal cancer back to the top of news feeds with the unfortunate passing of actor James Van Der Beek. Like Chadwick Bozeman, who died of the disease in 2020, Van Der Beek was diagnosed at a relatively young age — part of a troubling trend.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the U.S., and around 20% of cases are now found in those under age 55.

While the exact reasons for this shift are currently unclear, we do know that some important steps can help lower the risk of colorectal cancer. And most have benefits whatever our age — younger, older or in between.

Here’s what you can do:

Get Screened

Getting regular screening tests for colon cancer is the single best way to protect yourself from the disease. Screenings can catch cancer early, when it’s most treatable, and it can help prevent the disease by finding growths that could turn into cancer. Most people begin getting tested at age 45. Those with a family history of colon cancer or other important risk factors may begin younger and get tested more often. Colonoscopy and stool tests, like stool DNA or the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), are commonly recommended. Each screening test is different, so talk to a health care professional about which one may be a good fit for you. The best test is the one you get.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight increases the risk of at least 13 cancers, including colorectal cancer. If you’ve put on extra weight, a good first goal is to try to stop gaining weight — which has health benefits by itself. Then, for a bigger health boost, slowly try to lose some pounds. Being physically active, limiting sugary drinks, and getting enough sleep are some steps that can help.

Don’t Smoke

The best thing you can do for health is not smoke. Smoking causes colorectal cancer and many other serious diseases. If you don’t smoke, stay smoke-free. If you smoke, quit. It has huge benefits, which start shortly after your last cigarette. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit smokefree.gov for help. Talking to a doctor can double your chances of success.

Be Physically Active

Physical activity has wide-ranging health and wellness benefits, including lowering the risk of colorectal cancer. Try to get around 30 minutes or more of moderate activity each day. But any amount is better than none. Grab a friend and choose activities you enjoy — whatever gets you moving.

Limit Alcohol — Zero is Best

Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can raise the risk of colon cancer. And with alcohol’s other risks, not drinking is the overall healthiest choice. Fizzy water is a healthy option, and there is a growing selection of alcohol-free beer and wine.

Eat a Healthy Diet Filled with Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains

A diet rich in whole grains and fiber — and limited in red and processed meats — helps lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Try to get around 2-4 servings of whole-grain foods every day, like 100% whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereal and pasta. Make other high-fiber foods a regular part of your menu as well, like fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans. And try to eat fewer than three servings a week of foods like bacon, sausage, steak and hamburger. The less, the better.

Also, if you ever have any possible symptoms of colorectal cancer, be sure to see a doctor. These can include blood in the stool, stomach pain, change in bowel habits, unplanned weight loss or ongoing fatigue. Don’t put it off because you think you might be too young for the disease. Get it checked out whatever your age. The earlier a cancer is found, the better it can be treated.

Cancer is caused by a combination of factors. Some we can’t control, and some we may be able to change. Up to 75% of colorectal cancers could be avoided with screening and healthy behaviors. Small healthy changes add up — and over time, they can make a real difference in our risk. And that’s a positive message even as news stories remind us how serious a disease it is.

It’s your health. Take control.

Dr. Graham A. Colditz leads prevention research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine in St. Louis. Much of his work focuses on translating research findings into tools and tips that help people lower their risk of disease and improve their health — including the 8IGHT WAYS® to Prevent Cancer series.

Grant furthers novel therapeutic approach to glioblastoma

Mosquito-borne Zika virus helps destroy deadly brain cancer in mice

Milan G. Chheda, MD, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Oncology at WashU Medicine and a brain tumor specialist at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, has received a nearly $1.5 million grant from the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation.

The three-year award will significantly advance a unique viral-based immunotherapy for glioblastoma, a lethal brain cancer that typically results in death within two years.

Chheda’s research repurposes the Zika virus, which has been linked to neurological adverse events. Instead, Chheda and colleagues engineered and tested the virus to selectively target and destroy glioblastoma tumor cells while sparing healthy brain tissue. The virus has proven highly effective in mice, giving a powerful boost to an immunotherapy drug and training the immune system to surveil and prevent against recurrence. The Kleberg Foundation award is essential for sustaining momentum, allowing Chheda and his team to complete key work needed to transition to a first-in-human clinical trial. Chheda previously received a Kleberg Foundation grant in 2017 to support this work.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. About 12,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S.

Chheda also is director of neuro-oncology at WashU Medicine and a physician-scientist and associate director at The Brain Tumor Center at Siteman.

FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation Reflects Practice-Changing Trends Only at Siteman

Recognition follows strong early clinical results for a novel off-the-shelf CAR T therapy targeting rare and aggressive T-cell malignancies

A novel off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy pioneered at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine is gaining national recognition after delivering striking clinical results in patients with rare and aggressive blood cancers.

The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to WU-CART-007, an allogeneic anti-CD7 CAR T-cell therapy developed by WashU Medicine researchers. In early global trials, 73% of adults and adolescents with relapsed or refractory (R/R) T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL) achieved full remission following treatment — an outcome that positions the therapy as a potential gamechanger in T-cell malignancies.

“Relapsed T-cell leukemias and lymphomas represent one of the most challenging areas in hematologic oncology,” said oncologist John DiPersio, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy at WashU Medicine and an internationally recognized cell therapy leader at Siteman Cancer Center. “We are leading transformative advances for patients with these rare and aggressive cancers. Developing an off-the-shelf CAR T platform that can induce high remission rates in this population reflects the translational depth and cellular therapy infrastructure we’ve built at Siteman.”

DiPersio and Matthew Cooper, PhD, developed the therapy — manufactured using an off-the-shelf approach from healthy donors — to target CD7+ malignancies. The two founded the biotech company Wugen in 2018 to advance the research. Further clinical trials are underway in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia, including at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

In reviewing results from earlier clinical trials in children, researchers at Siteman Kids noted that WU-CART-007 (also known as soficabtagene geleucel, or sofi-cel) could be a gamechanger if the therapy continues to move almost all patients from disease-state to remission, thus enabling patients to undergo stem cell transplantation.

Learn more about:

‘An Eco-System of Innovation and Excellence’

The rapid advance of WU-CART-007 is just the latest example of what Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center, says arises out of a robust eco-system of innovation, collaboration and excellence in cancer research at WashU Medicine.

Siteman is known internationally for its basic and translational research efforts and is one of only a few institutions to receive three prestigious Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), for leukemia, endometrial and pancreatic cancer research.

Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, also has awarded scientists at Siteman a Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) grant for lymphoma research. Such grants are specifically designed to accelerate promising translational research into patient care.

“We are committed to continually advancing treatments for cancer and broadening options for patients,” Eberlein said. “Toward that goal, we have initiated several home-grown clinical trials that have changed the course of treatment for many cancers. Our depth and breadth of oncology research is wide, and our expertise is the result of innovation, dedication and multidisciplinary cross-collaboration that occurs throughout our center.”

Other examples of comprehensive, specialized programs at Siteman include the:

Translational Research Highlights

In addition to the latest breakthrough in leukemia and lymphoma research and care, examples of other research efforts that have changed practice guidelines include:

  • New Standard of Care Established for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancers — In the first change in standard-of-care therapy in more than 20 years, the FDA approved the use of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for treatment of resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in adults. The approval, announced in mid-2025, came after a clinical trial initiated at Siteman in 2013. That trial and later ones, including an international trial, demonstrated greater tumor shrinkage prior to surgery and longer survival rates when immunotherapy was added. “It’s exciting to see our ideas move toward clinical practice with such impressive and potentially life-changing results,” said Douglas Adkins, MD, co-director of the Head and Neck Tumor Center at Siteman, who co-led the clinical trials at Siteman and elsewhere.
  • Addition of Brentuximab Vedotin for Relapsed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Results in Statistically Significant Survival Benefit — With approximately 40% of patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) having relapsed or refractory disease, researchers at Siteman, led by Nancy Bartlett, MD, found in the ECHELON-Phase Three clinical trial that the use of an antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin, when combined with either lenalidomide or rituximab, was not only safe but also demonstrated improved survival benefit in patients with R/R DLBCL.
  • Dostarlimab Plus Chemo for Primary Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer — Matthew Powell, MD, co-led national studies that found adding immune checkpoint inhibitors to standard therapy for endometrial cancer improves outcomes for many patients, with an average increase in overall survival of 31%.
  • T-cell Immunotherapy Effective in Treating Rare Soft Tissue Cancers — Siteman Cancer Center’s Sarcoma program was a major clinical trial site for this study, which found that T-cell immunotherapy, specifically the drug afamitresgene autoleucel, or afami-cel, was effective and generated long-term responses in patients with rare soft tissue cancers.
  • Sotorasib Approved as Targeted Therapy for Patients with Specific Type of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer — Following clinical trials at Siteman and globally, the FDA approved sotorasib for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer whose tumors express a G12C mutation in the KRAS gene and who have already undergone previous treatment. Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, who led the study, noted that the drug targeted the most common mutation, reduced tumor sizes, and improved overall survival rates.
  • Medicare Approves Whole-Genome Test for Blood Cancers — A test for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) developed at Siteman was the first whole-genome sequencing test for cancer to be approved for reimbursement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Called ChromoSeq, the test is now routinely used by oncologists to guide treatment decisions for patients with blood cancers.

“At Siteman, we have built one of the world’s leading cellular immunotherapy programs focused on developing next-generation treatments for rare and refractory cancers,” Eberlein said. “Many of our most impactful cell therapy trials are investigator-initiated and originated here, reflecting a translational infrastructure designed to bring innovative therapies to patients with the most aggressive and rarest cancers.”